5 month old kitten does not like to be petted

Question
QUESTION: I adopted a 4 month old kitten. She is now 5 months old and was spayed last week. When I brought her into the house, she walked in like she owned the place! No fear, no hiding, went straight to the food, then litter box, and walked around like she had been there her whole life. She has absolutley no fear of any person, animal, sound, or situation. My local vet said she is the most adjusted kitten they had ever treated.
My issue is that she does not like to be petted! My vet said that she most likely was raised in a home with people and other animals, but probably was not petted or loved on as a young kitten during the most important bonding weeks of her life.
She will rub around my legs, loves to play with me, sleeps at the foot of my bed, and my two neutered adult males fell in love with her from day one. She snuggles and plays with them. They accepted her immediately. She showed no fear of them from the moment I let her out of her carrier.
My question is, how can I get her to like being petted? She does not come to an outstretched hand like most kittens do, will not get on a lap, and when I do pet her, she will get up and move away, then start grooming herself where I've touched her like she wants to wash away every trace. She will take treats directly from my fingers.
Will this behavior be able to be overcome with patience and love? Is this aloof manner a factor of being female? I have never had a female cat before. All my babies for the last 20 years have been male. (all rescues) I love this little cutie and want her to enjoy being petted.. to associate it with pleasant things.
She is an Egyptian Mau.. silver with spots, and amber eyes with a goosberry green ring around the pupil.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated!

ANSWER: Hi Toni.  This is a difficult problem to overcome.  Socialization has a lot to do with it, and you can work on that to an extent, but genes have just as much influence.  Studies suggest that nature and nurture are about equally responsible for the amount of affection a cat shows.  So there is a good possibility she is just not a lap cat by nature, due to genes she inherited from her parents.

I recommend to try holding her while hand feeding her special treats.  Chicken works nicely, and I also will hold cats on my lap and feed them some chicken baby food on a plate.  It really does help to warm up cats who are tolerant of holding by heredity.  However, try not to take it personally if you don't make much progress.  Egyptian Maus are actually known for their reluctance against being lap cats or especially keen on petting due to their high energy nature.  They prefer to be involved with their people by supervising the activities their humans engage in.

Best of luck!

Jessica



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your answer to my first question! Yes, this little Egyptian Mau is a ball of energy, and boy can she jump! Fast little thing too!
Right now she is curled up in the chair that is beside me. She seems to be making a little progress as she will rub around my legs and seems to enjoy being petted when I bend down to stroke her! Hopefully, I can win her over, and as she gets older and out of the kitten stage, she will be able to focus on relaxing instead of all the wonderful things to explore in the world around her. She is now following me from room to room, and runs to jump on the bed when I enter the bedroom. I can pet and stroke her when she is there, and she is now starting to purr a bit when I do!
Regardless, if she never becomes a full fledged lap loving snuggle bug, she will always be my baby and will get all the love she will allow.
I do see some progress, so hopefully, in time she will warm up to a good "scritch"
Do you see this new acceptance of physical contact as a sign of better things to come?

Answer
Yes, I certainly do!  That sounds like an excellent step in the right direction.  I would definitely keep it up with the special treats.  I find giving a "treat session" on my lap 4 times a day really helps.  Just a few bites are all that's needed.  Some chicken or chicken baby food won't unbalance her diet.  

And you're right that kittens are often out to explore and conquer the world and will settle down quite a bit as they get to a year or year-and-a-half.  I think it sounds like she is feeling more secure in her new environment and is starting to relax.  Hopefully she continues to make progress!